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Skywings news stories published in all non archived years are displayed below.
News stories published in the years listed above can also be searched by post date or headline (title).
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There are 437 news stories for all non archived years in our database.
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The EHPU Safety Network pan Europe incident reporting system is being replace by FIDA the Flight Sport Incident Data Base.
As a result the incident report form on our website has been taken offline while the necessary work is undertaken to ensure no new incident reports are lost during the transition.
We hope to have this back online by the weekend or early next week, and apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
Unfortunately we have become aware that the status of the option to publish a report on our website has been lost during the move from the old database to the new one. As a result each of the BHPA incident report in the FIDA database will now need to be reviewed, and where appropriate marked for publication on our website.
Given the number of reports involved, this work is likely to take some time to complete. We have therefore taken the decision to freeze the number of reports available on our website until such time as this work is complete, and we can safely resume adding new reports.
Posted: 28 January 2026
By: Paul Dancey
The British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association's 2026 AGM will be held at 8 Merus Court, Meridian Business Park, Leicester, Le19 1RJ on Saturday 28th February commencing at 11.00am.
Marc Asquith and Steve Young will be standing for re-election to Exec, and James Allcock, Mike Chilvers, Guy Richardson and Mark Schaefer will be standing for election to Exec. As there are six vacancies and six candidates, the election will be uncontested.
Nevertheless, the AGM offers an opportunity to quiz Exec members on their achievements, and on the future direction of the Association; all are welcome to attend.
For those who are unable to attend the AGM in person, there will be an opportunity to observe the meeting and participate in discussions by joining the meeting using your computer, tablet or smartphone. Further details will be made available in due course.
The 2026 AGM Voting Pack is available in the documents section of this web site. The pack includes formal notice of the meeting, details of members standing for election, and a proxy voting form.
Voting can only be in person, or by completing the proxy voting form in the AGM Voting Pack, and posting it to the BHPA Office or emailing a scanned copy to office@bhpa.co.uk.
Completed proxy voting forms must be received at the office by 11.00am on Thursday 26 February 2026.
Posted: 8 January 2026
By: Paul Dancey
John McIntyre, designer of Airglow, will outline its design and construction. Since Airglow first flew in 1990 the technology of human-powered flight has changed surprisingly little.
If you're interested in how CFRP tubes are made, or the design of joints for cantilever wings, book now. John will also cover Japan's DMG Mori/Birdman House aircraft, considered to represent the current state of the art, which flew 69km non-stop in 2023.
Airglow is now in the care of Barney Townsend at LSBU.
Royal Aeronautical Society HQ, 4 Hamilton Place, London W1J 7BQ. February 9th at 6pm. Entrance is free but booking is essential (see above).
Posted: 5 January 2026
By: J. Schofield
The military low flying cell will be closed for the Christmas/New Year break from 3pm on 19 Dec 25 until 5 Jan 26.
CANPs will therefore not be processed over this period so there is no point in submitting them.
Martin Baxter
Posted: 11 December 2025
By: Paul Dancey
The BHPA Office will close for Christmas at noon on Tuesday the 23 December 2025, and re-open on Friday 2 January 2026.
As a result, any shop orders placed during that period will not be processed until the 2 January 2026 at the earliest.
Similarly, we will be unable to process any membership applications or renewals submitted during that period until the 2 January 2026.
Posted: 11 December 2025
By: Paul Dancey
With the impending retirement from Exec of Web Administrator Paul Dancey, the Association is seeking the services of a website developer to update, maintain and potentially renew www.bhpa.co.uk.
It is hoped that a developer can be found within the flying community, but external applicants are not excluded.
Prospective applicants should address the tender document at https://www.bhpa.co.uk/pdf/BHPA_Website_Tender.pdf. The tendering process will identify a range of possible solutions and their associated cost, from which Exec will select an appropriate cost-effective solution.
The closing date for tenders will be February 14th 2026.
Posted: 17 November 2025
By: Paul Dancey
Call to action - UK hang glider, paraglider, parascender, paramotor,powered hang glider, human powered aircraft, microlights and SSDRs: CAA Electronic Conspicuity Consultation - Respond by 6th October 2025.
The CAA is consulting on the future of Electronic Conspicuity (EC) — and it could directly affect every hang glider, paraglider, paramotor and powered hang glider pilot in the UK.
The CAA's preferred option is mandatory ADS-B.
BHPA's position is clear: ADS-B or transponders are impractical and disproportionate for our lightweight, cockpit-less aircraft, and may reduce safety.
EC for HG/PG must remain voluntary and limited to simple "broadcast-out" devices.
Full systems should rest with powered aircraft and drones, not us. This will affect all pilots, BHPA members or not. If we don't respond, we risk being forced to carry kit that doesn't work for our sports.
To support and encourage responses from our community, the BHPA has produced a summary of its consultation response, so that all UK pilots — members and non-members alike — can see the BHPA position, read the consultation papers, and submit their own views.
BHPA Position on CAA CAP 3140 EC consultation
Make your voice heard. Don't leave it to others. Respond to the CAA by 6th October 2025.
https://consultations.caa.co.uk/safety-and-airspace-regulation-group/ec-conops/
Marc Asquith
Posted: 2 October 2025
By: Paul Dancey
The TVHGC's Big Fat Repack runs on Sunday February 8th 2026.
Your reserve parachute is your last line of defence when things go wrong in the air. The BFR is a hands-on day to deploy, inspect, and repack your reserve parachute under expert supervision.
At Aldershot Garrison Sports Centre on Sunday February 8th you'll be able to practice a live deployment using a zipline, repack your reserve with guidance from BHPA-licensed packers and spot potential issues with your harness or deployment system before they become dangerous.
Watch last year's highlights, get full details and book your place here. Spaces are limited and always fill up fast - don't leave it too late!
Posted: 26 September 2025
By: J. Schofield
last updated: 28 January 2026
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